Ali Edwards's Blog, page 197

Disney World 2015

I've been to Disney World a few times in my life. Once back in 2006 with Chris and Simon and a few other times when CKU events were held in Orlando. This past week we made the trip again - this time with Aaron, Katie, Simon, Anna and Audrey. You can read about our 2006 adventure here.

Magic is a word that tends to get thrown around a lot, but really and truly there is a whole lot of magic in that place.

But before we get to that, let's start at the beginning:

Katie and I flew to Orlando before Aaron and the kids and I taught five workshops at the awesome She Scrapbooks. Loved being back in a real-world scrapbook store again - such a great, relaxed environment for workshops. There was a lot of laughing, and a bit of crying (good kind of course), and lots of stories being told. Big thanks to Stephanie and her staff for making our stay so enjoyable.

After finishing up the workshops Stephanie drove Katie and I to our "home" for the next five days: Disney's Art Of Animation Resort.

It was a really great choice for this trip - especially in that we were able to get a "family suite" that fit six people staying all together.

Art of Animation is in the budget category of Disney lodging (previously in 2006 we stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge) and it was honestly perfect for this trip. The rooms were clean, the food was fine (we did the Deluxe Dining Plan), the pools were fun and we were able to use the Disney buses for transportation to and from the parks (never had to wait longer than 10 mins).

Aaron flew across the country with Simon, Anna and his daughter Audrey. They made it one piece with only a few minor hiccups along the way (par for the travel course). Before they arrived we did a bit of shopping at the Disney store in Downtown Disney and picked up some t-shirts and lanyards and pins to surprise the kids when they got to the room.

We stayed in the Cars section of the resort and loved the Cozy Cone pool. It was HOT and humid (hot here at home while we were away too which is crazy) and the kids loved swimming in the pool the first night and a few other times as well.

In terms of cameras for this trip I ended up just using my iPhone. I brought my DSLR along but ended up not wanting to carry it because it's heavy and I was already carrying a backpack of kid-related stuff that was enough.

Before I get much further, our goal was simply to have fun. It wasn't to see every single thing (just crazy) or ride every ride as many times as we wanted or make sure we didn't miss a single thing. We're a pretty go with the flow group of travelers but we did have a general plan mapped out in advance of which parks we were hitting on which days. For our trip we choose a 3-day Park Hopper pass (I love being able to go from park to park on one day) knowing that some of us would be spending at least one day of our trip at Universal Studios to visit Harry Potter World.

We started with Magic Kingdom because it's still the favorite. One of the first things we did when we got in the park was get both girls a dress - they ended up wanting to get the same one (Belle from Beauty and the Beast).

The Disney World app is awesome and we used it regularly - if you are going you should definitely download it for all kinds of reasons (fast passes, information, maps, etc).

One of our first stops was Splash Mountain. Simon wasn't interested (he wanted to do Sorcerer's of the Magic Kingdom - more about that in a minute) so Katie took him to work on that and the rest of us waited in line (about 30 minutes) for Splash Mountain.

This was the first time for both girls on this ride (both first time at Disney World) and they LOVED it. Both were shouting "Again, again!" at the end of the ride.

It wasn't long before it started to rain/thunderstorm on that first day. We had lunch reservations at the Liberty Tree Tavern which ended up being perfect timing when it really started to pour (even though the four of us that rode Splash Mountain were already soaked and got completely drenched as we made our way over to the restaurant).

Simon, not generally a fan of rain (which is tough when you live in Oregon), did pretty darn well with the poncho.

So Sorcerer's of the Magic Kingdom - this was something I had no idea about before this trip. Simon found it via the app as he was researching and it ended up being one of his favorite things. It's basically a scavenger hunt throughout the park. You start at the Main Street Firehouse to learn how to play and pick up a set of spell cards and a map. From there you follow the clues on the map and use the cards to defeat evil villains that appear in various hidden locations. He was seriously all over this - loved it.

On this trip he was definitely less interested in the rides and more interestd in scavenger-hunt sorts of activities in each of the different parks.

One of the best parts of this trip was having a one-child to one-adult ratio. Having kids that are far apart in age (seven years with some special needs thrown in to the mix) can be a bit of a challenge on a trip like this with the varied interests. Because we had more adults on hand we were able to split up when necessary which made for a better overall experience for everyone.

In the afternoon Katie, Simon, Anna and I headed back to the hotel for a rest while Aaron and Audrey kept going. Anna immediately fell asleep on the bus of course. We met back up later in the evening at Hollywood Studios for the Frozen Sing-A-Long.

The photo above, though blurry and grainy, perfectly captures the awesomeness of that show.

We stuck around for fireworks and a popcorn snack before heading back to the hotel.

On Tuesday we started the day at Epcot (I don't think I took any photos there) and ended the evening with fireworks and rides at Magic Kingdom again.

Before the fireworks and Main Street Electrical Parade we ate dinner at The Crystal Palace - a character meal featuring Winnie The Pooh and Friends. I wasn't sure if the girls were going to be into this one or feel like they were "too old" but they loved it.

We did utilize the Disability Access Service Card that Disney World offers (similar to a Fast Pass but this allows you to not have to wait in line and rather come back at an assigned time). This proved very helpful as we couldn't always plan ahead for how Simon was going to be doing/feeling at a particular time. It gave us just enough flexibility (and the freedom to move around while we waited for a particular ride). We rented a wheelchair for Simon on a couple of the days (which he was so, so happy about) and a double-stroller for the girls - having both those options really made a difference in their overall ability to enjoy the experience (especially in the crowds and heat). It's a lot of walking for anyone, but particularly challenging for someone with less stamina.

On Wednesday the girls and Katie had a pool day while Aaron and I took Simon to Universal Studios to experience The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The girls didn't really care (and it's expensive for the two park pass) and Katie was ready for a hang-out day so it worked out just right.

I might have choked up getting on the train between Hogwarts and Diagon Alley.

Simon, of course, was over the moon.

Movies live in Simon's head. They are on repeat in his mind and seeing a favorite storyline come to life was definitely magic. He's read a few of the books and seen all the movies multiple times. It was rad.

We started at Diagon Alley - because you have to get your school supplies before you go to Hogwarts.

First thing we did was go to Ollivanders and buy an interactive wand so he could walk around and practice spells (another scavenger hunt style of activity). He did some of those and then we ate at the Leaky Cauldron and tried butterbean (of course). We rode the Gringotts ride - liked it - and then walked around doing more spells

Next we made our way via the train over to Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. We also used a similar Disability Pass at Universal which cut down the wait time for the big ride: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Once was enough for me on that one (the 3D and 4D visual effects + the motion of the ride = not great for me) but Aaron and Simon turned right around and rode it again.

Simon picked up a chocolate frog (Rowena Ravenclaw on the card) at Honeydukes.

We also rode the Flight of the Hippogriff a couple of times as well. Love seeing Simon smiling and happy. We really took our time and let him set the pace - another thing that was nice about being able to take him on his own. And, as he will gladly tell you, he's not a fan of glitter so it was a nice break from those glittery 6-year-olds.

After getting his fill of Harry Potter stuff (he easily could have stayed there multiple days just playing with the interactive wands) we explored a bit more or Islands Of Adventure which basically meant we rode every water ride they had available and go completely soaked: Ripsaw Falls, Jurassic Park River Adventure, and Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges. Water rides are my favorite. I had brought along his swim trunks and water shirt to change into because I knew from past experience (not a good one) that going on any water rides would require that.

And yes, on Thursday we got wet again. This time at Animal Kingdom where we started our day. Girls loved it too.

In the afternoon it was the girl's turn for some magic which included going to the Bibbity Bobbidi Boutique for princess makeovers. Anna did this when she was three at Disneyland and she still talks about it.

Simon and Katie stayed at Animal Kingdom checking out the animals and other attractions. Simon ending up riding the Expedition Everest roller coaster on his own and got stuck on the ride when there was one of those emergency stops that results in everyone having to evacuate the ride. As serious luck would have it he was right at the very end of the ride and Katie was able to be right there to help him exit. They then got a free fast pass to the front of the Safari line because of the stopped Everest ride.

We met back up at Epcot for a princess dinner at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (in Norway). We tried getting reservations for dinner at Cinderella's Castle a few months ago but it was all booked up. This ended up being a great option.

This day also represented the most challenging in terms of kid meltdowns. It had been building up and one by one they were all reaching their point of no return. Somehow, miraculously, they all made it through dinner. Katie took them all back to the room after dinner and Aaron and I got to run around Epcot and then over to Magic Kingdom for a few more rides on our own. We didn't last too long - we were tired.

On Friday we had a late flight out of Orlando so once we were all packed up we spent some time at the pool before boarding the bus to head to the airport.

Love Simon photobombing in the background.

It's a 5.5 hour flight (or so) from Orlando to Seattle. Anna looked like this most of the time. I slept. Simon slept. Aaron and Audrey each did a bit. Katie never sleeps on planes.

Coming back into Seattle looked like this. So beautiful.

We got into Seattle around 10pm and our flight to Eugene was supposed to leave around 11pm (putting us home right around midnight). Unfortunately they ended up canceling our flight after maintenance delays around midnight (for us by that time it was 3am since we'd been on East coast time). They put us up in a nearby hotel and we took a flight mid-day on the 4th of July (that's the short version of a much longer story that includes me crying when talking to the gate agent in the morning when we got back to the airport to do it all over again).

It was a good trip.

Magic, yes. Fun, yes. Challenging, yes. It felt rushed but I'm just not sure there's another way to do Disney World when you live on the opposite coast. We missed a few rides I generally would never miss - Tower Of Terror being one - just because it didn't work out - which was fine because it wasn't all about me. Totally worth it.

We'll definitely be back again in another few years.

It was the best feeling to get home on the 4th in time to take a nap before heading over to our friend's to celebrate.

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Published on July 07, 2015 03:00

Give Sunday | 26

This year, in honor of my 2015
One Little Word® "give," I'm sharing a hand-drawn quote each Sunday here on my blog.

Click here to read my initial post and download the #givesunday word art title and checklist for helping you to give a little something today. You can also view all the past #givesunday quotes via the archives.

Click here to download the #givesunday 26 quote. Please note: If you are reading this post via email you need to click through to the actual blog post to download the file.

You're invited to join me. What will you
give today?

Have a wonderful Sunday.

View more on Ali Edwards's website »

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Published on July 05, 2015 03:00

Celebrating Memories Of Week In The Life™ | Kristin Tweedale

Today I'm sharing
#WITLmemories from Kristin Tweedale (you might be more familiar with her as @rukristin). She's included some great tips and ideas below as she reflects on her past Week In The Life™ projects.

#WITLmemories is all about sharing the Week In The Life™ love. It's about re-visitng our past projects (to reflect and learn and get inspired), sharing ways of telling the story of our daily lives, and creating a community of people around this popular project to support and encourage one another.

You're invited to share your own personal favorite
#WITLmemories via Instagram, Facebook or your blog. What do you love about the project? What do your past albums mean to you now? Feel free to share a link to your blog post in the comments below.

Here's a look at Kristin's past projects:

MONDAY

Monday, September 9th 2013

Because I never know what the light is going to be like throughout the day, I chose to print all my Week in the Life photos in black and white. It lets me capture the little details that I relish capturing during Week in the Life. Moments in the beginning of the day, like this one: snapping a quick photo of my iPod classic on my bedspread, first thing in the morning. Documenting the little toy I bought myself in more than ten years ago as a freshman in college and still use every night to help me fall asleep.

TUESDAY

Tuesday, October 28th 2014

As someone who works at home and is alone most of the day, it can be difficult to find ways to document my life. I set timers throughout the day to help remind me to take snapshots of my right now life. On this sluggish Tuesday, I took a picture of myself and a picture of the project I was working on and spiced it up with bright yellow journaling cards. I love using colors and patterns to help reinforce the feelings of a particular story.

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday, September 11 2013

This photo might not seem like much at first, but it's what it means to me that really matters. This is the street where I live (or did in 2013). On this morning, September 11th, I got up and went into the middle of the street and snapped this photo, looking westward. Had been facing eastward, I would have been looking directly towards Manhattan. Looking at the skyline, all eight miles away, without the towers, is still pretty hard, but it's still a part of my life and deserves to be documented. That's why I went with the reverse photo -- even without all the background story, it's still a great picture of the street on which I lived.

THURSDAY

Thursday, October 30th, 2014

Thursdays are a big photo day for me, and this one was no exception. On this page, I let the photos speak for themselves and left them alone with no journaling to guide the stories. I took a bunch of photos throughout the day, one of me in front of my new-found favorite selfie mirror, a few of J (my person) asleep in our sparsely furnished new home, and a few others. Sometimes for me, its important to step back from the words and let the pictures document the details of my everyday life.

FRIDAY

Friday, October 31st, 2014

Chores. I make it a point to document the little things that I don't put in any of my other scrapbooks in my Week in the Life album. I try to ask myself throughout the week, 'what does my right now look like'. As I was rushing around the house trying to get it decent for our Halloween party that evening. On this page I have a photo of me chopping some vegetables and quick shot of the messy laundry room. I'm so glad, I managed to capture a few of the moments that made the whole night happen.

For more information about Week In The Life™ check out my projects page and pre-order your kit that makes it easy to focus on capturing and celebrating your words and photos with a fun, story-focused intentional embellishments. Week In The Life™ 2015 will happen in mid-late August. If you want to dive even deeper you can also check out my archive of past Week In The Life™ blog posts.

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Published on June 30, 2015 03:00

Give Sunday | 25

This year, in honor of my 2015
One Little Word® "give," I'm sharing a hand-drawn quote each Sunday here on my blog.

Click here to read my initial post and download the #givesunday word art title and checklist for helping you to give a little something today. You can also view all the past #givesunday quotes via the archives.

Click here to download the #givesunday 25 quote. Please note: If you are reading this post via email you need to click through to the actual blog post to download the file.

You're invited to join me. What will you
give today?

Have a wonderful Sunday.

View more on Ali Edwards's website »

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Published on June 28, 2015 03:00

Celebrating Memories Of Week In The Life™ | Nicole Reaves

Today I'm sharing #WITLmemories from Nicole Reaves.

#WITLmemories is all about sharing the Week In The Life™ love. It's about re-visitng our past projects (to reflect and learn and get inspired), sharing ways of telling the story of our daily lives, and creating a community of people around this popular project to support and encourage one another.

From Nicole: "Last week I completed my third Week in the Life™ and right now I’m in the thick of printing the photos and putting everything together. While the documentation process is quite intense, these albums hold pages of some of my favorite everyday moments as a family. Memories that I very well would have forgotten if I hadn’t actively participated in this project. Thank you so much for following along as I shared parts of my favorite layouts this week!"

You're invited to share your own personal favorite #WITLmemories via Instagram, Facebook or your blog. What do you love about the project? What do your past albums mean to you now? Feel free to share a link to your blog post in the comments below.

Here's a look at some of Nicole's pages from past projects:

MONDAY

Monday, July 25, 2011

My children, Morgan and Parker, are three and one, and life right now is both exciting and exhausting. As a stay-at-home mom, our days are full of diaper changes and laundry, games and crafts, snack distribution and trying to keep everyone happy. On this particular summer day, my sister (who was a new mama to twin boys) and I planned a last minute trip to the zoo that afternoon. Not only am I grateful for the time I can spend with my own kids each day, but also with my nephews and best girlfriend.

TUESDAY

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

School is in full swing this week and while Morgan is adjusting to full-day kindergarten, her little brother Parker is getting his own taste of school life during half-day preschool two days a week. Even though it was only for a few hours, it was very weird having both kids at school on that first day. When we picked Parker up before lunch, he said ‘I love school!’ and I breathed a sigh of relief. It’s all so bittersweet.

NOTE: Nicole used my Week In The Life™ 8.5x11 Vol. 5 Layered Templates for this project.

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Today is the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. As Parker and I walk past the flag at half staff in front of the library, I think about the day my children will ask more about the events that happened that day. I think about the people who were affected, how quickly things can change, and to hug everyone extra tight. We will never forget.

THURSDAY

Thursday, July 28, 2011

On Thursdays over the summer, we usually head to downtown for storytime hosted by our local library. The kids can hardly sit still through the stories, but love the singing and dancing in between books. On this day, we also enjoyed a visit from Grandma (my mom) and a trip to “Old McDonalds” (as Morgan likes to call it). At three years old, she is saying so many adorable things. I’m so glad I’ve included her silly questions and mispronunciations in my album, because those are the little things I never would have remembered four (or more) years later.

FRIDAY

Friday, September 13, 2013

Fridays around here mean catching up on housework and laundry so we can enjoy the weekend together. I put a new recipe in the crockpot for dinner (which has become a family favorite since then) and spent much of the afternoon picking up sticks around the yard after last nights thunderstorm. My husband, Mark, has taken the week off work to finish a new retaining wall in our backyard, so Parker has been extra busy between helping me and handing Daddy the tools he needs.

For more information about Week In The Life™ check out my projects page and pre-order your kit that makes it easy to focus on capturing and celebrating your words and photos with a fun, story-focused intentional embellishments. Week In The Life™ 2015 will happen in mid-late August. If you want to dive even deeper you can also check out my archive of past Week In The Life™ blog posts.

View more on Ali Edwards's website »

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Published on June 24, 2015 03:00

For The Love Of Instagram

I'm definitely a fan of
Instagram.

I scroll for inspiration, for connection, for pleasure.

I love it most for the simple beauty of the images and for inspiration on how to look through the lens (of my camera and my heart). I like that Instagram can serve different needs - that I can follow and unfollow as my tastes and interests evolve. I follow some memory keepers, but a lot of who I follow are photographers or thinkers or writers or artists who bring good feelings into my day. When scrolling through my feed I want to smile, laugh, be made to think (might be the way the shot was taken and it might be the story included in the comments), or have my heart-warmed.

It's defintiely become more commercial over the years and I've contributed to that as I share business-stuff/memory keeping projects and products on my personal account
@aliedwards and via the @aliedwardsdesgininc account. And the reason why it's become more commercial is because people are there - scrolling and reading and commenting and interacting with one another.

Today I want to spread some good stuff. For the last week I've been jotting down the people/businesses that are currently brining me the most joy and inspiration in my Instagram feed. If it had to narrow it down to nine (excluding family and close friends) these would be the ones I'd keep (at least this week):

@chrisburkard | Chris Burkard | Surfing, outdoor and lifestyle photography. Pictures that blow my mind almost every single time and inspire me to get outside.
@humansofny | Humans Of New York | Storytelling at it's finest. Basically a guy (Brandon Stanton) who goes around New York and takes photos of people and documents part of their story via a quote from the person he's photographing. Raw, heartbreaking, inspiring.
@travelandleisure | Travel & Leisure Magazine | Travel photography - the places I've been and the places I want to go.
@afarmedia | Afar Magazine | More travel photography. Never enough. This is a great magazine as well.
@floretflower | Floret Flowers | I read about this company in Martha Stewart's magazine and immediately started following her on Instagram. They are a small flower company based in Washington state that grows the most beautiful varieties of some of my favorite flowers including dahlias and sweet peas.
@dallasclayton | Dallas Clayton | Some of you guys might remember that I wrote about this guy last year after hearing him speak Alt Summit. He's an illustrator and an attitude changer.
@nytimes | The New York Times | Their tagline on this account is "Telling stories in photos and stories about photos." Not hard to guess why I like and follow this one.
@taylorswift | Taylor Swift | Because why the heck not. Because I'm a fan. She makes me happy and we might just have plans to see her in concert later this summer.
@lovesarahschneider | Sarah Schneider | No idea how I came across Sarah but I like her feed - lovely light-filled images, insanely beautiful house (wait till you see the fireplace in the backyard), big heart, great style.

I'd love to check out your favorites too! Remember that taking the time to document that stuff you are into right now is part of our story. What I love and am into today might be different next week. Capture life my friends - it's so worth it.

Hope you have a great week!

New Story Subscription Special: Sign up for a Story Kit™, Story Stamp™ or Digital Story Kit™ before July 14th and receive my tried & true storytelling workshop Storyology for free: http://aliedwards.com/themes/go

In the self-paced Storyology workshop, I'll lead you through an in-depth exploration of some of my favorite techniques for telling the stories of life. This lecture-based creative session (2 hour presentation + handout), with time built-in for story brainstorming, is an awesome place to begin or refresh your desire to focus on the stories. You'll complete the workshop with a practical, go-to list of techniques to use each time you set out to document a memory or a moment of you life and be inspired to tell your stories fearlessly.

Current Story Subscriber? Check your account under My Classes for access to this workshop. Love you guys and thank you for your support!

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Published on June 22, 2015 03:00

Give Sunday | 24

This year, in honor of my 2015
One Little Word® "give," I'm sharing a hand-drawn quote each Sunday here on my blog.

Click here to read my initial post and download the #givesunday word art title and checklist for helping you to give a little something today. You can also view all the past #givesunday quotes via the archives.

Click here to download the #givesunday 24 quote. Please note: If you are reading this post via email you need to click through to the actual blog post to download the file.

You're invited to join me. What will you
give today?

Have a wonderful Sunday.

View more on Ali Edwards's website »

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Published on June 21, 2015 03:00

Celebrating Memories Of Week In The Life™ | Jess Forster

Today I want to share a campaign with you that we've been featuring on the @aliedwardsdesigninc Instagram account: #WITLmemories

#WITLmemories is all about sharing the Week In The Life™ love. It's about re-visitng our past projects (to reflect and learn and get inspired), sharing ways of telling the story of our daily lives, and creating a community of people around this popular project to support and encourage one another.

Jess Forster was one of the first people I thought of when we were brainstorming people to invite to share their Week In The Life™ memories. Below are some of her favorite pages from past albums including stories from 2010, 2012, and 2014.

Here's Jess in her own words about this project, "My WITL albums are full of these lovely little details. In the past five years, I have documented life through various stages of everyday life. From life as a couple, to expecting our first child, to life with a newborn / toddler and finding our groove as a family of three. Week In The Life™ is one of my favourite projects and I am so thankful to have them to look back on. An intense project - the albums are so worth the result! Thank you for letting me share my past projects and snippets of my life with you!"

You're invited to share your own personal favorite #WITLmemories via Instagram, Facebook or your blog. What do you love about the project? What do your past albums mean to you now? Feel free to share a link to your blog post in the comments below.

Here's Jess:

MONDAY

Monday, April 24, 2012

8:43 AM I shower with purpose. I am in and out in 4 minutes flat. Although my mom is here, I can’t shake this new mom habit. I get dressed and start planning the grocery list in my head. What a treat to go grocery store by myself!